Prune grader, cleaner, and spreader.



F. J. YANDLE.

PRUNE GRADER, CLEANER, ANDsPlEADlz'R.v APPLICATION FILD- JUNE 2. i914.

COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH C0..W^SH1Nf.rnN, L', f

vF. J. YANDLE.

PRUNE GRADEH, CLEANER, AND SPREADER. APPLICATlON `FILED JUNE 2'. 1914.

1 1 62', 1 23;l Patented Noir. 30, 1915.

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wl'lNEsSEs: 1%; liga/7g? o @//sffwf' I F. l. YANDLE. PRUNE GRADER, CLEANER, AND SPREADER.

lAPPLICATION FILED JUNE 2. :914.

1,162,123. Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

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INVENTOR MM n fZ/@fffg A 'rro u N H Y coLuMmA PLANouRAPH co.,WASHINGTONl D. c.

. suspended by links 8 and 9 from FREDERICK J. YANDLE, OF SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA.

'.PRUNE GRADER,'CLEANER, AND SPREADER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

Application filed June 2, 1914. Serial No. 842,380.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. YANDLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Rosa, in the'county of Sonoma and Statev of California, have invented new and useful ImprovementsV in Prune Graders, Cleanersand Spreaders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a prune grader, cleaner and-spreader.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a machine of the character described, which .is simple and substantial in construction and which requires comparatively small powerA for its operation, and which is particularly capable of'separating prunes of various sizes and spreading them onto separate trays cleanY and free fro-m bruises.

Another object of the invention is to provide double or compound grading screens of the shaking type, and of different mesh,

for separating the prunes, in combination with an endless belt grading screen; and to provide means for adjusting thethrow of the shaking screens.

Further objects will hereinafter appear. The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Y Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view. of same. Fig. 3 is a cross section through the spreader platform.

Referring to the drawings, A' indicates -the main frame o-f the machine, preferably made of wood, in the form shown kin Figs. 1. and 2. The frame is provided with a top rail 2 to which is attached the main operating parts of the machine.

3 and 4 are grading frames provided with bottoms formed of perforated plates or screens 5. rThe holes therein, through which the fruit passes, are of .varied diameters, decreasing in size from the higher to the lower screen. The upper grading frame 3 issuspended by links 6 and 7 .from the upper rail 2 and the lower grading frame 4 is in turn theV .upper grading frame. Mounted'below the gradv ing frames is an endless traveling screen belt 10 by which the smallest grade of prunes is :removed-and through which any foreign material, such as stems, leaves and sand, is permitted to escape. The endless traveling screen belt is secured to a pair of sprocket chains 11 and 12, which in turn are mounted on sprocket wheels 13 and 14 secured on shafts 15 and 16 respectively, journaled in boxes 17 and 18 carried by the lower rail 2a of the frame. Power to drive the belt is transmitted from any suitable source through -a .f pulley 19 secured upon the shaft 16.

, Shaking movement is transmitted to the upper and lower grading frames through l the following mechanismzSuitably secured, vas at 20, on the lower side of the upper rail 2 is a'boX 21,.in which is pivotally mounted a rccker-arm`22. Thelower end of the arm is pivotally connected, as at 23, to the grading frame4,and thel other side o-f the arm, above the pivot point, is pivotally connected, as at 24, to the upper grading frame. The eXtreme upper end of the arm is provided witha series of perforations 25 in any one of which may be secured one end of a link 2G, ther other end of said link being secured, as at 27, to the upper end of adouble crankarm 28 which is pivotally mounted in a box 29 mountedV on the upper rail. The lower end of the crank-arm 28 is connected by a link 30 with an eccentric 31, or like means, which is secured upon a shaft 32 carried by a boX 33. rIhe boX 33 is secured on the Vlower side of the top rail and power to drive the shaft 32 is transmitted through a pulley 34,secured on shaft 16,. to a pulley 35 ysecured on the eccentric shaft by means of a grading frames secured by the links 6, 7, 8

and '9, together with thevconnections 23` and 24, will, with the main rocker-arm 22 transmit opposite movements to the screens and at the same time impart a slight sidewise movement to same 'which has a peculiar effect as'faras the grading of the fruit is concerned.

The prunes to be graded are deposited upon'` the upper .grading frame through furthermore Ythoroughly spread and permitted to escape,

as at 39. The next size prunes vare caught on the lower grading frame, indicated at 4, and aresimilarly discharged, as at 40, on the opposite side of the machine, while the smallest grade .of prunes are permitted to pass through to be finally deposited on the endless traveling screen belt 10 by which they are conveyed to the front of the machine and finally discharged, as at 4l. All foreign matter, such as stems, leaves and sand, will fall through the endless traveling screen belt and may be collected in a catch pan or like device (not here shown) placed under the belt where they may be gathered and conveyed away from the machine in any suitable manner.

The shaking movement transmitted to the grading screens, by means of the connections 23 and 24, with the arm 22 which is positioned approximately centrally between the links 6, 7, 8 and 9 has a tendency to impart a. slight side movement at the same time that an end to end movement in Aopposite directions is imparted. This slight movement is permitted by the loose connections in the suspending links and is very effective, as it not only causes the fruit to roll over from end to end, but it also imparts a slight turning movement to same. rIhe position of the fruit is thus constantly changed while passing over the screen surface of the grading frames and is thus given ample opportunity to escape on the right screen. The fruit is prevented from being bruised, as the shaking movement imparted in the manner shown does not necessarily have to be as violent as in other types of machines.

A machine constructed as here shown does not only grade the fruit into three sizes, but it also acts as aI cleaner and spreader. If it is desired to dry the fruit directly after the grading action has taken place, it is only necessary to place the drying trays directly under the discharge points 39, 40 and 41. These points are widely separated and ample space is thus provided for the handling of the trays or like means by which the fruit is carriedv away from the machine. The machine is simple in construction and may be easily adjusted to suit various conditionsI and grades of fruit. It, furthermore, consumes very little' power and is so simple vin construction thatit-may be successfully operated by anyone.

Various changes .inA form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope ofthe appended claims and I do not wish to limit myself to the specific design and construction here shown. n

An extension platform 45 is provided on each side lof the main frame upon which the trays to receive the prunes may be placed. These ,platforms are pivotally secured at their outer ends, as at 46, while the inner ends are supported by coil springs 47. Each platform will normally assume an angular position, as shown in Fig. 3, when an empty tray is placed thereon, but they will gradually assume a horizontal position as vthey become loaded or filled with prunes;

that is, the tension of the springs 47 is such that they will gradually yield and allow the trays to assume a more and more horizontal position as they become filled, whereby a more complete and even filling is assured. This action may be facilitated by so v mounting the platforms as to permit them to be shaken so that the prunes, as they deposit on the trays, will be evenly spread thereon, and -this shakingfmovement is transmitted to each platform vand the tray mounted thereon in the following manner: Suitably secured'to one end of each tray, as at 48, is a universal joint and connecting said pivot with either the upper or lower grading frame, as at 49, is a link 50. The

ing platform and the prunes discharging from the individual thus evenly spread over the trays.

Having thus described my invention, wh at I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- '1.7 In combination with superposed screens and means to shake'same, meansbeneath the lowermost screen to receive material and to discharge same at the fronts of the screens,

a pair of separate and independent lateral oppositely disposed discharges for the respective screen fronts connected to the respective screens and movable therewith, and a pair of receivers beneaththe respective discharges and on opposite sides of the receiving means at the discharge end of the latter.

2. In combination with superposed screens having separate front lateral discharges 'connected to the respective screens and movable therewith, an endless conveyer beneath and radin@ frames are shaking movement of the grading frames is thus 4transmitted to each individual tray supportadapted to receive material from the lower-y most screen and arranged to discharge the material at the front of the conveyer, and between vsaid lateral discharges.

3. In a spreader, a'receiver, means topivotally support the receiver spring underlying the opposite end of the receiver *toresiliently support the latter and ,to allow said end` of.` the receiver to move at one end, a

iso

downwardly under the weight of material that enters the receiver, and means conf.V

nected to the last named end of the receiver to shake said receiver.

4. In a spreader, a receiver, means to pivotally support the receiver at one end, spring means to resiliently support the opposite end ofthe receiver, and means to impart movement to the receiver so as to cause the same to be reciprocated ahout said pivot and 1o against the action of the spring means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

